Noir
Noir, Neo Noir, Tech Noir and films I consider Noir.
Noir characteristics:
Noir characteristics:
- low-key lighting (lots of shadows, accentuated contours, stark contrasts) & silhouettes;
- unbalanced compositions, unusual angles;
- (shadow) of Venetian blinds or banister rods;
- faces partially or wholly obscured by darkness;
- black-and-white cinematography (only classic noir);
- cigarette smoking;
- urban setting;
- night and rain;
- convoluted story lines and flashbacks;
- voiceover narration (1st or 3rd person);
- plot: crime/murder investigation by a private eye, a police detective or an amateur; heist, murderous conspiracy;
- corrupt world;
- existentialism;
- freudian psychology & dream sequences;
- moral ambiguity;
- pessimistic, hopeless tone;
- heroes: flawed/morally questionable/alienated/bitter;
- heroes: tragic, trapped in unwanted situations or doomed;
- characters: hardboiled detective, femme fatale, corrupt policeman, jealous husband, claims adjuster, failed writer.
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- DirectorRidley ScottStarsHarrison FordRutger HauerSean YoungA blade runner must pursue and terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space and have returned to Earth to find their creator.The prototypical cyberpunk film and one of the best works of art Hollywood has ever produced. It set the stylistic standards for the entire genre in cinema and other forms of popular culture. The neon-happy, multi-layered cityscapes with dark and foggy street level became the goto look and feel for all cyberpunk visualisations.
Scott is a master of characterisation. He uses subtle interplay between pairs of characters to tell the audience who they are. We learn, watching interactions between Sebastian and Pris, Pris and Roy, Roy and Dr Tyrell, Roy and Deckard and finally Deckard and Rachel. The latter two are especially memorable and important as their relationship sets the tone for the whole film.
Both Ford and Young do a great job but are outshone by the excellent Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty. His "Tears in Rain" monologue has gained iconic status in popular culture. Acting is very good across the board.
The film would not be what it is without the soundtrack. Vangelis wrote and performed some fantastic pieces that are so in tune with the events on the screen, that it is genuinely impossible to think about Blade Runner without them. - DirectorNicolas Winding RefnStarsRyan GoslingCarey MulliganBryan CranstonA mysterious Hollywood action film stuntman gets in trouble with gangsters when he tries to help his neighbor's husband rob a pawn shop while serving as his getaway driver.A selfless driver sacrifices his humanity to help those he grew fond of. It is the Taxi Driver without the Taxi. Instead it has complicated relationships, great chase scenes and Gosling's non-acting. It all fits well together to produce an enjoyable film, where emotional subtlety mixes with physical brutality.
- DirectorJames CameronStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerLinda HamiltonMichael BiehnA human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation.One of the biggest blockbusters of the mid-80s and an important entry in the history of science fiction cinema.
Occasional stiff performance form the two leads and the rest of the cast is overshadowed by tense atmosphere and dim presentation. From the very beginning Cameron introduces the sense of hopelessness and despair and then masterfully builds the tension that culminates in the final minutes of the film.
The special effects look impressive in a 1984 film, but here they only compliment the dark and gritty style normally associated with film noir. In fact, The Terminator is often associated with tech noir, a term coined by Cameron himself, as a name for a club in the film and indirectly a label for a new subgenre. - DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsPam GrierSamuel L. JacksonRobert ForsterA flight attendant with a criminal past gets nabbed by the ATF for smuggling. Under pressure to become an informant against the illegal arms dealer she works for, she must find a way to secure her future without getting killed.A film of many brilliantly developed characters. The plot takes back seat to allow us to enjoy some of Tarantino's best dialogues among some of his best characters. Fantastic music.
- DirectorDan GilroyStarsJake GyllenhaalRene RussoBill PaxtonWhen Louis Bloom, a con man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story.The first few sequences with Jake Gyllenhaal were enough to diagnose his character, Louis Bloom with psychopathy. I could see it in his awkwardness, when around other people, in his calculative behaviours, even in his smile. This high level of acting continues for most of the film to make it one of the best depictions of the most fascinating of all mental disorders.
My only complaint is that the authors were too restrained, as if they were afraid they could go too far or be too controversial. The film would be better, if there was actually a baby in the cradle. - DirectorBen AffleckStarsMorgan FreemanEd HarrisCasey AffleckTwo Boston area detectives investigate a little girl's kidnapping, which ultimately turns into a crisis both professionally and personally.Gone Baby Gone is a weird name for this film. A much more suiting one was created years later by E. L. James, when he wrote his Fifty Shades of Grey. Affleck proves here, that when he is not restricted by ideology, he can direct excellent cinema. Since the tone is restrained, action scarce and the story unfolds slowly, the average viewer may find it difficult to enjoy Gone Baby Gone. But the average viewer, who lacks sensitivity and perceives the world as more or less black and white, will also miss the film's biggest asset: its nuance.
Below the mechanics of a neo-noir detective drama, Affleck presents a universal struggle between good and evil. However, for him the definitions of those seemingly opposite aspects of human nature are not so obvious. Characters in Gone Baby Gone belong to several factions that have more or less differing goals. Throughout the film we cannot be sure who is right and who is wrong. And we are never given an answer, because in the actions of those characters good and bad constantly overlap. Everyone goes about their business in their own way, often chaotically, often meeting others on their path. And when in the end the plot twists are revealed, it is not a shock surprise, but a calm realisation.
Trying to be good is not enough. People differ and the nature of good in them is also varied. It can be motivated by naivety, loyalty, lawfulness, love and many other factors. So when the characters in Gone Baby Gone act, despite having practically identical intentions, they generate results, that are drastically mismatched. They end up in positions so far away from one another, that no compromise is possible. What Affleck was probably trying to show here, is that good and evil are relative. That depending on where we stand, our perception of those concepts is different.
I disagree with that notion, if that is indeed, what the director was trying to tell us. My interpretation of the film is different. I believe that there is a constant struggle between good and evil in every one of us. The system that governs it – the human nature – is so complicated, that it is impossible to make a judgement form an external point of view. That is why we assess the results of one's actions, not the intentions that motivate them. And good meanings are just a start of our road. The works we pave it with depend on a combination of values, principles and morality. If it is a right one, we have a good chance of arriving in heaven. If not, well, then we have to hope Mr. Affleck's relativity will save our asses. At least for now.
Acting is very good, but Casey Affleck deserves special praise. All technical aspects are top notch. - DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartMary AstorGladys GeorgeSan Francisco private detective Sam Spade takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar and their quest for a priceless statuette, with the stakes rising after his partner is murdered.Is this canonical film noir? It was missing some of the characteristics I would associate with this style. For example, I would expect the main character, the private eye to have at least a bit of a tragic side to him. He did not. But then again, noir has always been difficult to define.
The Maltese Falcon is widely believed to be one of the best of the classical period films. I will have to reserve my judgement until I am more familiar with other noir productions and generally films of that period. As an out of context experience it certainly is a good watch, even though my initial response was not favourable.
The first time I saw The Maltese Falcon, I was rather disappointed, but in time it grew on me enough, to give it another chance. As expected, the acting is slightly exaggerated and theatrical. I am not a big fan of Humphrey Buzzgart, but he did a solid job. I must admit, though, I very much liked the polished, almost courtly language used by the femme-fatale. If that is a feature, I am going to enjoy it. For now it is a 7/8 film. I will come back to this review, when I am better equipped. - DirectorRidley ScottStarsMichael DouglasAndy GarciaKen TakakuraTwo NYC cops arrest a Yakuza member and must escort him when he's extradited to Japan.The essence of the 80s cinema. The music, the camerawork, the troubled badass cop as the protagonist, a corny antagonist and a predictable plot.
The film has very good pacing. It is lazy when it wants you to soak up the atmosphere but gains urgency in critical moments. It has an almost cyberpunk feel due to large parts of it being set in neon-infused Osaka. - DirectorMike FiggisStarsRichard GereAndy GarciaNancy TravisAn Internal Affairs agent becomes obsessed with bringing down a cop who has managed to maintain a spotless reputation despite being involved in a web of corruption.Good neo-noir crime thriller depicting a struggle between Raymond Avilla, a fresh Internal Affairs agent (Garcia) and Dennis Peck, a corrupt cop with a seemingly spotless reputations (Gere). The tension was built well and maintained throughout the film, thanks in part to the explosive dynamics between the two characters and excellent performances from the two leads.
Both the villain and the protagonist are morally ambiguous characters that have to overcome external and internal obstacles to do what they believe is right. Peck is a better player and when it seems he has his adversary broken and on his knees, Avilla involuntarily plays his ace. He is saved by a loving, supportive and understanding woman, that is there at his side and can help him through his internal struggle. Garcia's wife is the inverted femme fatal of this film noir and the one asset Gere's character cannot have.
Countless Venetian blinds shots, frequent use of shadows and a haunting soundtrack complete the noir experience and provide a good watch for the fans of the style. Viewers expecting fast pace, action and gunfights will be disappointed. - DirectorJohn M. StahlStarsGene TierneyCornel WildeJeanne CrainA writer falls in love with a young socialite and they're soon married, but her obsessive love for him threatens to be the undoing of them both as well as everyone around them.If I was giving my short reviews titles, this one and probably many others like it, would be called "The elusive definition of film noir". My interest in this sub-category of cinema began many years ago, when I learned that it influenced the aesthetics and themes in my favourite sci-fi title — Blade Runner. Since then I watched many films, that were given the label, but I still do not know what film noir actually is. I am not even sure, whether it is a genre or a style (though I am starting to lean towards the latter).
After I watched Leave Her to Heaven I was even more confused. The film does not have any visual characteristics of a noir title. Most of the scenes take place during the day or in well lit indoor areas. The lighting and angles are pretty standard and there is not much rain. If you look at the themes and motifs, you will also find many of the typical ones missing. There is no hardboiled detective, no investigation and the film starts as an idyllic love story.
Ellen Berent, played by Gene Tierney, is the central figure of the plot of Leave Her to Heaven. She is a beautiful and intelligent woman, but also a psychopath. She develops such a strong bond with anyone she grows fond of, that she not only cannot live without them, but also cannot let anyone else live near them. Her extreme jealousy pushes her to commit horrible deeds in order to emotionally posses the objects of her affection. The objects that are one by one crushed by the consequences of her actions and the weight of her attachment. Ellen Berent is an incredibly potent femme fatal, but when the film begins, we do not now any of that.
The story of Leave Her to Heaven starts in a train car, where the two main characters meet and a spark of attraction is born between them. Luck has it, they continue to the same destination, where in idyllic surroundings their love blossoms. The first 40 minutes of Stahl's work flows almost like a typical high budget Hollywood romance drama of the 1940s. However, as a viewer I did not feel the comfort typically found when watching familiar, good natured stories. From almost the beginning of the film I felt restless, expecting something horrible to happen any minute. Throughout the whole starting section, subtle facial expressions, small remarks and pieces of the musical score hinted, that there was something sinister hidden under the sugar coated surface. It was the darkness. The noir.
Although initially skilfully hidden, the pessimistic tone, characteristic of film noir productions, is present for the whole screening time of Leave Her to Heaven. It also features a femme fatal and a very long retrospection, but it is that dark, hopeless tone, that convinced me this title is indeed film noir. It is also, for the most part, a very good production, with outstanding dialogues, great performances and fantastic Technicolor camerawork. It is a shame that the last 30 minutes of the film, including the very ending, bring down the score a notch. I am starting to notice a trend with the 1940s Hollywood films and their endings. - DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsLaurence OlivierJoan FontaineGeorge SandersA self-conscious woman juggles adjusting to her new role as an aristocrat's wife and avoiding being intimidated by his first wife's spectral presence.Alfred Hitchcock would never want to bore anyone with a by the numbers film noir, and so he does not with his Rebecca. It has a femme fatale, that died one year before the action of the film starts, the main character that is of perfect morality and has the purest of hearts and a villain that doesn't kill a single person. In fact, not a single person dies in the whole film, and yet I did not have any doubts, that what I was watching was film noir.
By far the most striking element of Hitchcock's noir composition is the play of light and shadow. In many scenes the long dark shapes of human bodies create strong contrasts on the mostly light walls of Manderley. Although there aren't too many Venetian blinds or banister rods in the mansion, much more sophisticated shadows are casts by decorative openworks, plants or even streams of rain flowing down the windows. But Hitchcock's visual excellence is best reflected in his use of light and darkness on the character's faces and bodies.
In one of the most memorable scenes in Rebecca, Mrs. Danvers surprises the new bride in a room that belonged to the late Mrs. de Winter. We see her standing behind a material veil, completely covered in shadow, a disturbing silhouette of pure black. Seconds later she steps through this poetically visualised veil of darkness and once again assumes the role of a strict housekeeper. But from that moment the viewers know there is something sinister hiding behind that shroud.
When revealed the main mystery disappoints. Although it is not obvious from the beginning it is also not very exciting. But the strength of Rebecca does not lie in the mysterious, nor does it depend on fast action or emotional love scenes. Unsurprisingly, Hitchcock focuses on psychology. We see the main protagonist, a young bride, as she struggles in her new role. Since she is not of aristocratic descent, she feels unworthy of being the hostess of such a magnificent mansion. To make matters worse, the inhabitants of Manderley and the many objects left untouched, continuously remind her of the almost mythical legend of the first Mrs. de Winter. As she cannot find support from her detached husband, she slowly succumbs to the pressure imposed by her mysterious predecessor.
The looming presence of the late Mrs. de Winter is yet another of Hitchcock's masterstrokes. Although she never appeared on screen, by the time the film ended, I knew exactly what kind of person she was, what she liked and how she behaved among other people and in private. I almost knew what she looked like. I can think of many main characters in lesser films, that cannot compare in terms of development.
Most of the actors do a good job. Joan Fontaine as the second Mrs. de Winter is lovely, but she overplays her role as a naive and clumsy mistress. - DirectorWilliam A. WellmanStarsHenry FondaDana AndrewsMary Beth HughesWhen a posse captures three men suspected of killing a local farmer, they become strongly divided over whether or not to lynch the men.Classic western about a lynch mob looking for someone to punish for a crime they only know from hearsay. It is a straightforward but very poignant look at human psyche, the desire for revenge and the consequences of people reaching for powers that should be reserved for the justice system or God.
The Ox-Bow Incident is sometimes called a western noir. Most of the scenes take place in the darkness of the night, but apart from that, there is no clear visual evidence to support that classification. However, themes of revenge, fate and regret and the pessimistic or even nihilistic message and tone may be seen as characteristics of that style.
I remain sceptical though. If this was not filmed during the classical period, I would argue those themes and messages were present in more than one cinema style and genre. But since The Ox-Bow Incident was released in 1943 and filmed almost 2 years earlier, I concede that the fatalistic tone should probably be associated with the noir style. As such, I am willing to call it a western with noir elements. - DirectorWallace WorsleyStarsCharles ClaryDoris PawnJim MasonA deformed criminal mastermind plans to loot the city of San Francisco as well as revenge himself on the doctor who mistakenly amputated his legs.The Penalty is the sixth proto-noir film I watched and definitely the best. The story is not very complicated. A boy crippled by an inexperienced surgeon, heads down the path of crime, and when he becomes a prominent figure of the San Francisco underworld, he plots revenge on the doctor that made him half the man, he should be. Because of its simplicity, the story leaves a lot of room for the film's actual strengths: the dark themes and the main character.
"When Satan fell from Heaven he looked for power in Hell" says Blizzard, when asked why he lives in the underworld. This sentence is a perfect reflection of the villain's motivation. His great loss drives him into increasingly disturbing levels of darkness and madness. However, Blizzard is not characterised as purely evil. Throughout the film we learn about his love for music, appreciation for other forms of art, his desires and vulnerabilities.
It would not be possible to convey all those themes and emotions without the brilliant performance of Lon Haney. The weight of the entire narrative rests on his shoulders and he delivers spectacularly. His expressive face and suggestive poses describe more, than perhaps words ever could.
It is a shame, that the film is let down by a rushed, sloppy happy ending. A different approach and 30 additional minutes might have been the difference between a good representative of the silent era in cinema and a timeless classic. Still, in terms of character development, this 100-year old film puts too shame many currently produced crime blockbusters. - DirectorChad StahelskiStarsKeanu ReevesMichael NyqvistAlfie AllenAn ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters who killed his dog and stole his car.Naive plot riddled with inconsistencies. Try hard. Very average, even for a stupid action flick. Keanu Stiff, as always, walks with a stick up his ass.
- DirectorJosef von SternbergStarsGeorge BancroftBetty CompsonOlga BaclanovaA blue-collar worker on New York's depressed waterfront finds his life changed after he saves a woman attempting suicide.Wow, I actually liked it. There were even moments, I thought it was fantastic. The playing, though still a bit too theatrical and overdone, was actually quite solid. Even the big oaf Bancroft was not a jester this time around.
The story is very simple, but in exactly the same way fairy tales are. In fact, I would say The Docks of New York is a fairy tale. One with a slightly naughty Cinderella, a scoundrel prince and a reformed bad sister that helps the pair get rid of a disgusting villain.
It was a surprisingly good watch and a film that may have changed my opinion on silent cinema. And on Sternberg's Underworld, for that matter. I am now firmly convinced its shit. - DirectorGeorges FranjuStarsPierre BrasseurAlida ValliJuliette MaynielA surgeon causes an accident which leaves his daughter disfigured and goes to extreme lengths to give her a new face.Some lists have Eyes Without a Face as a neo-noir film. If it really is, it is not a typical representative of the style. Aesthetic similarities include stark shadows and banister rods, but thematically it strays away from cannon much more.
There is a crime, but it is perpetrated by the main character. He has questionable morality, but he is never shown to be conflicted or trapped. He makes conscious decisions and acts according to a precise plan. It is a plan, however, only a mentally flawed character, could realise. One that would be fitting in a noir production.
The other typical noir motifs are even more understated or twisted. The investigators are secondary characters, that have rather limited screen time. The femme fatale is not dangerous for the main character, but for his victims, and only indirectly, through her inaction and acceptance of her father's evil practices.
Noir or not, Les yeux sans visage is a good horror with quality performances from Pierre Brasseur and Alida Valli. - DirectorHenri-Georges ClouzotStarsPierre FresnayGinette LeclercMicheline FranceyA French village doctor becomes the target of poison-pen letters sent to village leaders, accusing him of affairs and practicing abortion.This Vichy collaboration production is apparently the first French film noir. Indeed, there are some visuals clues, including a frequent use of stark contrasts, high and low angle shots and a naked bulb. Additionally, Le corbeau explores typically noir themes of paranoia and moral ambiguity, but does so more as a political commentary, than an existential one.
As I learned, after I watched the film, it may be more accurate to say Le corbeau is a mixture of cinematic styles, borrowing from Hollywood classics and German expressionism, but also bearing the traits of French works made under the occupation. The controversial production circumstances proved to be a concern for the filmmakers and lead actors, after the war ended, but The Raven remains a quality commentary on the various moral stances of the inhabitants of a rural town, a microcosm of human society distilled from wartime France.
As to its classification as film noir, I am much more comfortable calling it proto-noir. As with early Fritz Lang's productions, Le corbeau's aesthetics are a result of adopting German expressionism as a stylistic device, more than anything else. Nevertheless, as proto-noir, it earns a spot on my Noir list. - DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsLeonardo DiCaprioEmily MortimerMark RuffaloTeddy Daniels and Chuck Aule, two US marshals, are sent to an asylum on a remote island in order to investigate the disappearance of a patient, where Teddy uncovers a shocking truth about the place.I guessed, what was going to happen before one hour mark. But the more I watched after that, the more was I hopeful I was wrong. Because the lead up to the climax was not very good. Too many things had to perfectly align by sheer chance, for this "radical cutting-edge role-play" to succeed. They took so many absurd risks and assumed so much about the behaviour of unpredictable people, that there is no reasonable way anyone sane would approve such a plan. So, I was hoping I was being led astray, and the actual conclusion would be something much more interesting. It was not.
There are some great compositions in Shutter Island, but visually it is not a very convincing neo-noir. The story and themes, however are a different story. There is a marshal of ambiguous morality, coming to an island, to investigate a mystery. There are a lot of dream sequences and flashbacks. And psychology is practically the subject of the film.
Shutter Island can be enjoyed as a psychological thriller. If you aren't paying too much attention or are not too perceptive, you might actually be surprised by the reveal. All the actors do e good job, except maybe Emily Mortimer. who is quite wooden (may also be by design). - DirectorSam WoodStarsJoan CrawfordRobert ArmstrongMarie PrevostMary Turner goes up for three years on a crime she didn't commit. Once out she and former prison mates plan a scam in which old men can be sued for breach of promise - the "heart balm" racket. After plotting verious ways to get back at the men who set her up initially, she softens and settles down.The first several minutes of Paid are very promising. The plot build-up is intriguing, the characters are well motivated and of course we meet the brilliant Joan Crawford as Mary Turner. She is the first early cinema star, I have seen, that undoubtedly crossed the gap between "playing" and "acting".
After the strong beginning, Paid maintains high quality, entertaining the audience with some clever dialogues and intrigues. Crawford, accompanied by a solid cast, shines especially brightly, when the camera is close.
Unfortunately, the last third falls into pieces. It seems it is a common phenomenon for the early cinema, which might have been caused by the lack of expertise in the writing department. This time the plot becomes way too convoluted and the shenanigans of the law enforcers lead to even more chaos. The film end abruptly, after a short reconciliation.
Paid is considered a proto-noir film. It has some features that seem to support this claim. The story takes place in a corrupt world, where cops are no less crooked than the criminals. The main protagonist is put in unwanted situation and the action takes place mostly at night in an urban environment. - DirectorBoris IngsterStarsPeter LorreJohn McGuireMargaret TallichetAn aspiring reporter is the key witness at the murder trial of a young man accused of cutting a café owner's throat and is soon accused of a similar crime himself.Apparently Stranger on the Third Floor started the classic period of film noir. It is a short thriller with convoluted flashbacks, strange dream sequences and a hysterical main character.
If you consider presentation only, the film is a definition of the genre. Low-key lighting, shadows of Venetian blinds, night and rain — it is all there. Typical film noir themes are also present, but they are not as pronounced. There is a murder (or two), but the main character, a journalist, is a witness, not the investigator. He is a flawed man, but rather than conflicted and morally questionable, he is insecure and unnerved. And the tone is more thrilling than pessimistic.
Still, Stranger on the Third Floor is definitely a representative of film noir. It is a little too short and convoluted to leave a lasting impression, but it is a must see for all the fans of the genre and of the beauty of the wanderfull Margaret Tallichet. - DirectorRadim SpacekStarsOndrej MalýKristína FarkasováMartin FingerThe story revolves around Antonín Rusnák who is an StB agent. He feels rage towards the world. He feels sick and bored from his family and work. His psychological issues cause him breathing problems and his doctor advises him to breathe into a bag if he gets a fitA true "czeski film". I never knew what that actually means. Now I do. I know what happened in Pouta and I understand the themes and the message, but if someone asked me to describe, the moment to moment events on screen as they are happening, I would not be able to.
I think it is the essence of the Czech cinema, that all that chaos and nonsense on screen, eventually blends into a more or less coherent whole. And that is excatly, what happens in Pouta.
It is this weird little Czech neo-noir film that stays quite true to the style. It has all the classical elements, including stark contrasts, characters obscured by darkness, Venetian blinds, unusual angles, claustrophobic compositions, an urban setting, constant cigarette smoking, a corrupt system, an investigator with questionable morality, a Czech version of Freudian psychology and a very hot femme fatale with a bit of a butterface. - DirectorFred NibloStarsWilliam BoydJames GleasonWarner OlandUnable to repay a substantial gambling debt to mob boss North, Alan Beckwith concocts a last-ditch scheme. Allowing North to take out a $100,000 insurance policy on his life, Alan agrees to commit suicide after the mandantory one-year moratorium has elapsed. To make things legal, North forces Alan to marry Beverly (Whose brother is also indebted to North) as the beneficiary-of-record. He also assigns "hitman wannabe" Squint to both keep an eye on Alan and "do the deed" when the time comes. But as the year progresses, Alan falls in love with Beverly, befriends Squint and decides he doesn't want to die. But how can he convince North to allow a 100 grand to slip through his fingers?About 90% of the score of The Big Gamble is the climactic night car chase. It is a scene like the cinemagoers of the early 1930s had never seen. It has high speed, great sound of roaring engines, tension built right up to the finale and a spectacular crash. And it all happens on busy night city streets.
There are a few scenes with noir lighting, but like the action most of them come towards the end. The themes are not characteristic of the style.
For about 45 minutes of the 65 total The Big Gamble is a boring, badly written and acted film. But then it suddenly picks up and is a blast until the end title. All in all, an interesting entry on the proto-noir list. - DirectorFritz LangStarsRudolf Klein-RoggeAud Egede-NissenGertrude WelckerArch-criminal Dr. Mabuse sets out to make a fortune and run Berlin. Detective Wenk sets out to stop him.A monumental work that reveals how little experience the authors had and how inefficient the early filmmaking techniques were.
In many aspects Dr. Mabuse resembles a theatre play. Many scenes drag for several minutes without pushing the plot much further. As was common in silent films, acting is very exaggerated — some over the top dramatic expressions have an undesired comical effect.
Nonetheless, the film succeeds is depicting the social, economic and political problems the 1920s Weimar Germany was facing. The titular evildoer is the embodiment of all those issues and his eventual demise is supposed to instil hope in the hearts of Lang's contemporaries.
Dr Mabuse is considered to be a proto-noir film. Several night city scenes, a criminal investigation and heavy influence of expressionism seem to confirm that classification. - DirectorJosef von SternbergStarsGeorge BancroftFay WrayRichard ArlenA criminal known as Thunderbolt is imprisoned and facing execution. Into the next cell is placed Bob Moran, an innocent man who has been framed and who is in love with Thunderbolt's girl. Thunderbolt hopes to stave off the execution long enough to kill young Moran for romancing his girl.Thunderbolt was a solid piece of work until the frame-up. After that it became too illogical, to keep me interested in the plot. Fortunately, the film is not only a crime story but also a morality tale. And although the construction of the moral argument is rather simplistic, it works well.
The playing, on the other hand, was quite bad. I am not a big fan of Bancroft, and he definitely did not deliver in Thunderbolt. His voice acting was uneven, which is not a surprise, since he only just started practising it. Apart from that he was his usual stiff. Unfortunately, he wasn't the worst player in the film. This position is reserved for the truly terrible Fay Wray as Ritzie. Her performance was amateurish in every way.
All in all, a slightly below average film. - DirectorRidley ScottStarsTom BerengerMimi RogersLorraine BraccoA married New York cop falls for the socialite murder witness he's been assigned to protect.Predictable and boring. Proves Scott is a hit and miss director with a very good eye for visuals. Some frames are expertly composed and a little sepia adds elegance.
- DirectorLeslie ArlissStarsJames MasonWilfrid LawsonMary ClareA pair of young teachers look into the disappearance of their friend in the Yorkshire Moors. They soon run across the man they suspect is the murderer, and have to sit out a storm with him.The presentation of this first British film noir is very much in keeping with the style. Perhaps the tommies took it a bit too far, because some scenes are devoid of almost any light.
A young school teacher looking for her missing friend, stumbles into a secluded house in Yorkshire moors. There she meets and falls in love with a fedora sporting gentleman, who hides a dark secret. In the end it turns out he was a victim of mischievous machinations of his femme fatale, an old nurse using his traumatic past to torment him.
Although the story is simple, the filmmakers stumbled on many occasions. The dialogues are bland and relations were not given enough time to grow. Acting is very uneven. One thing they did well, was the eerie atmosphere of the misty bogs. - DirectorNicolas Winding RefnStarsRyan GoslingKristin Scott ThomasVithaya PansringarmJulian, a drug-smuggler thriving in Bangkok's criminal underworld, sees his life get even more complicated when his mother compels him to find and kill whoever is responsible for his brother's recent death.Drive was Refn's peak. With Only God Forgives he wanted to go even further and failed miserably. Symbols need substance, noir needs drama and a story need emotions, which are hard to come by, if your actors do not emote.
What the film excels at, are the noir aesthetics. Shadows of oriental ornaments substitute Venetian blinds. Instead of black and white, the director frequently blends black with gold or red. The results range from striking to eery. - DirectorJohn FrankenheimerStarsBen AffleckGary SiniseCharlize TheronAfter assuming his dead cell-mate's identity to get with the other man's girlfriend, an ex-convict finds himself a reluctant participant in a casino heist.A halfhearted voice over, you forget about for most of your film and a badly played femme fatale is not enough to make a neo-nor film. Reindeer Games is just a badly written, predictable and illogical action flick.
One point up for naked young Charlize. - DirectorChad StahelskiStarsKeanu ReevesRiccardo ScamarcioIan McShaneAfter returning to the criminal underworld to repay a debt, John Wick discovers that a large bounty has been put on his life.It was supposed to be better, for fuck's sake.
This film is 2 hours of monotonous fighting, occasionally interrupted by Keanu being a bad actor. - DirectorHubert CornfieldStarsEdmond O'BrienJulie LondonLaraine DayThe bitter secretary of a businessman plans to murder him and replace him with a hired look-alike accomplice in order to drain the company's bank accounts.A rather boring, low budget neo-noir. Dreadful pacing. Solid acting.
- DirectorLewis MilestoneStarsThomas MeighanLouis WolheimMarie PrevostAn honest police captain vows to bring down a powerful bootlegger who is protected by corrupt politicians and judges.Too slow, too boring and too illogical. Acting very stiff, even for the times. Despite some nice night city shots, automobiles and occasional glimpses of the Roaring Twenties atmosphere The Racket is another miss in the silent cinema period for me.
- DirectorJosef von SternbergArthur RossonStarsGeorge BancroftClive BrookEvelyn BrentBoisterous gangster kingpin Bull Weed rehabilitates his former lawyer from his alcoholic haze, but complications arise when he falls for Weed's girlfriend.I was never a fan of the silent films and it is not going to change now. The widely exaggerated "playing" will probably always be too comical for me, to appreciate any attempts at serious filmmaking in the pre-sound era.
Nonetheless, considering the early stage in the development of the industry, I will try to ignore the clownish performances, shallow motivations and abrupt character arcs, to criticize Underworld in the proper context.
Sternberg managed to produce a gangster film that worked on more than the obvious, visual level. Underworld tackles themes, such as loyalty, love, passion and honour. His characters are driven by more than one emotion. Despite Bancroft's constant hysterical laughter, his Bull Weed can be seen as a tragic, multifaceted antagonist.
The visual style and the crime drama theme indeed place Underworld as a film noir precursor.
EDIT:
I now watched The Docks of New York, a film Josef von Sternberg made just a year later. And I am convinced Underworld is shit. I still believe the characterisation is rather good, but the rest is rubbish. Especially the players' performance. It is a Flip & Flap level of nonsense compared to The Docks of New York. - DirectorTomas AlfredsonStarsMichael FassbenderRebecca FergusonCharlotte GainsbourgDetective Harry Hole investigates the disappearance of a woman whose scarf is found wrapped around an ominous-looking snowman.A badly directed attempt at Nordic noir with a bit of abortionist propaganda. One point up for great winter vistas.
- DirectorPeter HyamsStarsJesse MetcalfeAmber TamblynMichael DouglasRemake of the 1956 film noir film "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" in which a writer's plan to expose a corrupt district attorney takes an unexpected turn.That was stupid.
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsHarrison FordRyan GoslingAna de ArmasYoung Blade Runner K's discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former Blade Runner Rick Deckard, who's been missing for thirty years.Great acting, striking visuals, solid plot and lazy pace are not enough to put this sequel on par with the original.
Ryan Gosling is excellent as Officer KD6-3.7. His understandably understated performance is well complemented by the emotional Ana de Armas. Los Angeles of 2049, where most of the story takes place, is a variation of the classical cyberpunk look. It's much foggier and colder, than what Scott and Cronenweth proposed in the 1982 Balde Runner and perhaps, as a result - more haunting. As in the original, the pace in Villeneuve's film is pleasantly slow, although some may consider it a flaw in an almost 3-hour production. Unfortunately, it would not be the only flaw.
In the last 20 minutes the filmmakers stumbled more than once. The big reveal at the end seemed rather anticlimactic and left me uninterested with the rest of the story. The weak main villain's monologue was too long, too vain and unnecessary. It was followed by a sequence that had a very strong uncanny valley effect on me. Finally, the already minor role of Rick Deckard was further reduced to a liability in Officer K's mission.
The music is serviceable, but pales in comparison with the memorable soundtrack by Vangelis. The same can be said about the whole film. It's good, but not near the level of the original Blade Runner. The 1982 classic is a universal masterpiece. Blade Runner 2049 is just a good clone.